Happy ending at last
by Shakarian4ever1991
Summary: Garrus watches the Crucible fire from the Med bay. Has he lost the only woman he ever loved, or will she come back into his life to save him again. Post ME 3. Full of lovely fluff, and mature content, especially later in the chapters, so not for young readers
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One.

_I should never have let her go alone_. Those were Garrus Vakarians thoughts as he limped, draped over Liara's tiny frame towards the med bay.

"Damn it T'soni I gotta go back for her," he protested all the way there, but the impact of the explosion he had suffered down there on Earth had taken more of a toll on him than he first thought, so much so he couldn't fight off an asari half his size. Liara pulled him along more urgently, struggling from her own injuries, and Garrus, who had always respected her, now admired her tenacidy and decicive action to get him and herself out of harms way. Garrus could hear the battle outside the Normandy still raging and he closed his eyes in silent prayer for his love. _Spirits,_ he had never been that much of a religious Turian but right now he would pretty much try anything for a chance to see her again, to hold her warmth close to him, _Please watch over her, bring her back to me, let me see her again. _

"Place him down here Liara," Garrus opened his eyes to the sound of Doctor Chakwas, concern laced in her voice. He was in the all too familiar med bay, the smell of anti-septics and disinfectants in the air. He had spent more than he had wanted too here, his injuries from Omega still obvious on his face. He gulped. He couldn't think about Omega. It was where Jane had come back into his life. Two years of thinking she was dead then BAM! There she was again. He never admitted this to her but she saved his life. He was heading down a dark path and she was his one ray of light, of hope. To lose that again, well, lets just say if Turians could cry, he would flood the main battery with his tear, so great woud his loss be.

Garrus felt Liara struggle to do as Chakwas instructed, clearly now too overwhelmed by her own injuries. Garrus looked at his Asari friend. She was bruised, a cut down her cheek oozing blood and barely able to stay awake. Garrus felt instantly guilty. He shuffled he weight onto his good leg, the other one clearl dislocated or something, and pulled himself upright.

"Its OK Liara, I got it from here," he settled himself on the end of the bed, Chakwas carefully lifting his injured leg onto a gurney in front of him. Liara sagged and was caught by a member of the medical staff, who lifted her with ease onto the ajoining bed.

"Check Liara out first Doc," Garrus pleaded. He was not about to lose one of his best friends too. The thought that Jane might not come back from this was aready too much to bear. Chakwas nodded and turned her attentions to Liara, who had fallen unconsious.

Garrus allowed his mind to drift, thinking back to all the nights he had spent in Janes cabin, the talks they had shared, the love making. If someone had told him 3 years ago he would fall in love with a human he would have laughed. But in some ways, a lot of ways actually, his and Janes relationship just felt right. She had always been his best friend, taught him a lot when they were chasing Saren, helped him resolve his problems wih Doctor Saleon and Sidonis, and when they grew into more than just friends it just fit into place, like it was the only possible direction their relationship could have gone. And he hadn't regretted a moment of his time with Jane. Sure part of him was worried what the Turian Hierachy would think of him dating a human, but he supposed having Generals, like Corinthus, salute him, had to count for something. But how the hell he was going to tell his father about Jane. Bastian Vakarian would freak. _Theres nothing weaker than a Turian in love,_ he would say. Well hell, Garrus certianly didn't see his love for Jane as a weakness. It in truth was one of the only things keeping him going these days.

Doctor Chakwas returned to his side, and began scanning his leg with her Omni-tool.

"Well its deffinatly dislocated," she said confirming Garrus' earlier suspicions. "I'll need to relocate it quickly. Are you ready?" Garrus sighed.

"Ready as i'll ever be Doc," he muttered. This was followed by the cracking of his leg realigning and a few Turian curses he hoped Doctor Chakwas didn't know what they meant.

"Hows Liara?" Garrus as Doctor Chakwas began to remove the grim and dried blood from his right mandible, revealing a tiny gash in his carapace.

"Minor burns a few custs and scrapes, but all in all she will be fine," the Doctor re assured him. "She's just exausted so we will keep her here for observation for a while." She smiled warmly at Garrus. "You took the brunt of the explosion it seems."

Garrus' mandibles moved into a smile. Karen Chakwas had always been there, even when Shepard joined Cerberus to stop the Collectors. She had saved Garrus' life too, practically re building his face after the Blue Suns gunship ripped it to shreds. But even before that, when on the Normandy SR1 Chakwas was always kind, never Xenophobic towards anyone

"I should have gone with her," Garrus blurted out. Chakwas placed a sympathetic hand on the Turians shoulder.

"You would have been no help to her in your current condition. Shepard knew this. She wanted to give you a chance to live through this, for all of us to live throught this," Chakwas's eyes glistened with unshead tears. "She really is one of a kind."

"That she is" Garrus agreed. "Still I will never forgive myself if she doesn't come back."

Suddenly a jolt rocked the Normandy, almost causing Garrus to fall off of the bed.

"Attention all personel," Admiral Haketts voice boomed over the Comm. "The Crucible has been activated. Disengage and head for the rendevous."

"NOOO," Garrus boomed trying to get on his feet but finding himself too weak to move. "What about Shepard we can't just leave her." Chakwas placed a forceful hand on Garus' chest. He was surprized at the older womans strength.

"You are not fit enough to leave yet," she said firmly, forcing him to lie down. Next thing he knew she gave him a pain releiver, and the room grew fuzzy around him. As his eyes drooped he saw a flash of red engulfing everything in sight.

_Jane_, Garrus' last thoughts swam in his mind._ Please come back. I need you, the galaxy needs you. I love you..._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Learning to live without her

Garrus felt numb. He sat in the port observation deck looking out the window, but not really seeing. The Normandy had crash landed somewhere on earth, a beautiful lush green forest, completely untouched by the Reapers destruction, yet he couldn't appreciate any of this. Word had reached the crew that the Citadel had crumbled when it had served its purpose as the Catalyst, and that Shepard, _his Shepard_, was presumed dead.

Life suddenly had no meaning. Everything seemed grey. Shepard, the one light in his life was out of his reach forever. Her soft skin, her red hair cascading down to her shoulders and across her stunning green eyes, her feather light touch, so soothing and cool against his skin. She loved him for who he was, overlooking all the bad stuff he had done, the amount of times he screwed up. And he felt like the luckiest Turian in the entire Galaxy, to be able to say that Commander Shepard was his girlfriend.

He slammed his hand down on the table and it shattered. He didn't care. He simply cupped his hands around his face and blocked out the world. The rest of the Normandy crew were busy trying to get some of the main power working again so they could at least take off. But it was harder now EDI was offline. Another casualty of this cruel war. Whatever Shepard had set off up there had caused all technology to short circuit. EDI, the Geth, the Mass Relays, were all the things affected. But the combined intelligence of everyone would get things up and running in no time. Everyone praised Shepards decision, stating the Mass Relays, and AI technology could be rebuilt, that it was a good cost to rid the Galaxy of the Reapers once and for all.

Garrus wasn't so sure.

"Are you OK", a voice roused him from his thoughts. Liara stood in the doorway. She still looked bruised and had a cut under her left eye but she was smiling and looked better than she had in days. She moved gracefully across the room, over the now shattered table and sat at Garrus' side.

"She's gone Liara", Garrus' voice was a whisper. "How the hell am I suppose to carry on without her?" He bowed his head and a noise erupted from his lips, a cry of pain, loss and grief.

Liara gripped his hand in both of hers. She let the tears she had been holding back for days to flow. Shepards death affected them all.

"I'm here for you Garrus," she said. "Words won't help. They won't bring her back. But hopefully, after a while, your grief will fade and you can move on."  
"I can't just forget about her Liara," Garrus gripped Liara's hands, grateful for the companionship. "Part of me can't believe that she's dead. She can't be. Shes strong enough to pull through this, I know she is."

"I wan't to believe you Garrus I really do. But you saw the damage. Shepard is strong, she cheated death once, but this... I don't know,"

"I just can't Liara," the bustle of the Normandy crew was getting louder and it annoyed Garrus. Why weren't any of them mourning Shepard? She was everything to this crew. The Normandy _was _Shepard.

"I know," Liara rose from her seat. "Listen we are having a Memorial service for Admiral Anderson... and for Shepard. The crew agrees you should be the one to place her name... seeing as how close to her you were." Garrus' eyes flashed with sadness. If he attended this memorial service it would be admitting Jane was dead, and he wasn't ready for that. He wanted to hold on to his memories of her for as long as possible, to escape into them if he could.

"I don't know if I'm ready for that Liara," he admitted to his oldest friend. "I would be like accepting she's dead." Liara smiled warmly.

"Just think about it OK Garrus." She walked from the room and he was left alone with his thoughts.

He gave the memorial service serious thought. He was still not ready to say goodbye, to admit to himself she was gone. But he decided to attend... for Anderson if nothing else.

As he stood there surrounded by all his friends he realised how mistaken he had been. They had been mourning Shepard, each in their own way. She was a hero in everyone's eyes, but to the crew of the Normandy she was a friend. After saying silent farewell to Anderson Garrus stepped forward to place Jane's plaque on the wall.

But something stopped him. A feeling deep in his gut that she was still alive. He smiled and dropped the plaque, much to everyone's surprise.

"Garrus?" Joker came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You OK?"

"She's not dead Joker," Garrus turned to face the Normandy's pilot. "I know she is."

Without another word Garrus made his way to his favourite spot on the Normandy, the main battery. Even in here reminded him on Jane. He logged on to his personal computer and scanned the Extranet for any information at all about Jane.

No one came to see him and for that he was grateful. Just as he was about to give up hope a message pinged in his inbox. It was from Admiral Hackett.

Garrus played the message, half curious, half scared about what it contained.

"Garrus, Admiral Hackett here. I know you and the Commander were close so it seemed only fair that I send this to you. When scouring the wreckage of the Citadel that crashed to Earth we found someone that might interest you. She's alive Vakarian... Shepards alive."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

Reuinion

The shuttle ride to the hospital Jane had been taken to was the longest journey of Garrus' life. He sat running senario's over and over in his head. He was expecting Jane to look bad, hell she had been found in amongst a pile of rubble, buried so deep she was almost missed.

Acording to Hackett she was taken imediatly to the nearest hospital and guarded to protect her from the rabble of reporters and journalists who would have a field day if they knew she was alive.

Garrus sprinted from the shuttle before it eaven touched the ground, impatient at how slow it was.

"Garrus Vakarian," he said to the Salarian receptionist. She looked at her computer, recognition crossing her face. Clearly Hackett had given a heads up for his arrival, for which he was grateful. This was the woman Garrus loved, and no one was going to stop him when he was this close to a reunion.

"Ah yes of course," she told him. "Down the hall and turn left, you can't miss the guards."

"Thanks," Garrus shot back as he ran down the corridoor, skidded round the corner and almost bumped into the two C- Sec officers, one no older than 18 by Garrus' scan of him. The older officer held a hand up to Garrus and began to scan him.

"Ah yes Vakarian," he said. "Your cleared to go in. But I don't need to tell you that this is confidential and not to be breathed a word of to the outside world." Garrus snarled.

"Oh course I know that," he tried to keep his voice low but he wanted to shout, let all his anger and frustrartion at the past week just tumble out of him. "Now are you going to let me in to see my Girlfriend or not?"

"Of course, Vakarian, sir," the younger officer stepped aside and saluted him. Garrus had new found respect for the youngster. He saluted back, out of kindness, the ducked past them both and into Shepards room.

The array of smells that hit him gave him hope but also made him panic. Anti-septic, disenfectant, but also the smell of burning. Garrus took a deep breath to calm himself then turned to face the bed.

It was a lot worse than even Garrus had imagined. Jane lay in the middle of the bed, the rise and fall of her chest the only thing that assured Garrus she was actually alive. The heart rate monitor beeped and it was calming to him. He slowly walked towards the bed, where he collapsed beside it.

"Oh Jane, my sweet Jane," he choked. "I can't beleive your here, alive." He grasped her hand, taking pleasure in her delicate finger, like porceline, cool just like her remembered. Hard to beleive it had only been a week since he last saw her. "I was so lost without you."He ran his fingers lightly up her arm towards her face to brush a strand of her red hair away from her eyes.

He had ordered her to come back, when they said goodbye to each other in that building in London before the final push towards the Crucible. She had made no promise, he asked for none, he knew the kind of woman she was. But inside he heart broke as she told him if she didn't come back she would always be with him.

And now by some divine intervention or just a miracle, here she was, alive, bruised and battered to within an inch of her life, but alive.

And he promised to be there till she woke up, her guardian angel, or Archangel, protecting her untill she awoke. Then loving her for the rest of his life.

"I heard you were here Garrus," a voice behind him made him spin, Omni-tool at the ready, only to come face to face with Miranda Lawson, ex Cerberus agent, former Normandy crew member and, Garrus supposed, a friend.

"What are you doing here Miranda," he said turning his attention back to Shepard.

"Overseeing the Commanders care, of course," Miranda moved further into the room. "I was the most logical choice given my involvement in the Lazarus project."

Garrus sighed. Though him and Miranda had never seen eye to eye he would always be grateful to her, though he would never tell her, for her involvement in bringing Jane back to life.

"So how is she doing?" Garrus almost hated to ask, what if the prognosis was bad.

"She's doing well," Miranda said. "All the cybernetics we gave her have improved her rate of healing. I imagine she will wake soon." Garrus sighed. He almost gave Miranda a hug too, but restrained himself. Jane was going to be fine. She would wake up, get out of here, then the two of them could go somewhere far away from the politics of war, build a home together, make love on the sand. Spirits how he had wanted that soo much. And it was hard to beleive he would actually get it.

"How soon?" Garrus asked Miranda, who had turned to leave.

"Any day now." Miranda smiled. "Keep talking to her Garrus, hearing your voice might bring her back sooner. I've sent word to Admiral Shepard and she will be arriving any day now. Just a heads up, I don't think she knows about you two, correct?"

"War got in the way," Garrus shrugged. "Thanks for the heads up Miranda...And thanks for her... both times." Miranda didn't reply, she smiled again, then headed for the door.

Garrus turned back to Shepard, still sleeping soundly.

"Come on sweetheart wake up," he stroked her face again. "I'll be here all night. I'm not going anywhere." Garrus made himself comfortable in a nearby chair, ready for his vigil at her bedside, awaiting the moment she opened her eyes with baited breath.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

Awakening

Garrus awoke with a start. He had been dreaming of Jane, her soft kisses on his scarred face, the way her hands moved, so lovingly down his body.

But Jane was still asleep, although Garrus noticed a smile had formed on her lips. He lent forward to examine her. Her bruises looked fainter today, as did the cut across her left eye and right cheek. Miranda was right it seemed, all those implants had given her accelerated healing.

Garrus smiled at the memory of the hours after the Collector base. He'd be so concerned about her, she had almost slipped from his fingers when they ran back to the Normandy, the base collapsing round them. Fortunatly he had been strong enough to pull her up. But what had concerned him more was, at the time, he could clearly see she was injured.

But by the time they had gotten back through the relay she seemed fine, not a trace of injury at all on her body, and beleive me he checked.

Guess he knew the answer to that now.

"Ah, you must be Garrus Vakarian," an unknown voice startled him. He spun round to see an older woman, dressed in Alliance dress blues, smiling at him. And he knew that smile. He glanced at Jane, then at the older woman again, clearly seeing some resembelance.

"I'm Hannah Shepard, Jane's mom," the woman said stepping forward, hand outstreched in greeting. Garrus was momentarily stunned. He hadn't been expecting this encounter quite so soon. He was hoping Jane would be awake for this. He stepped forward and shook Hannah Shepard's hand.

Hannah Shepard looked tired, like she hadn't slept in days. She also looked frail, not at all like the Rear Admiral Garrus had pictured. Jane talked about her mom a lot during the Reaper war, constantly worried for her safety, taking comfort in Garrus' arms when she finally heard the news her mom was alive.

"Here," Garrus stood and gestured to the chair. "You look like you could use this more than me." Hannah Shepard smiled and lowered herself, gingerly, into it.

"Thank you," the Admiral took in the sight of her daughter and gasped. Garrus knelt beside her.

"She was a lot worse Admiral, believe me. But Miranda assures me she's well on the way to a full recovery," Garrus sighed. "We just have to wait for her to wake up."

"Miranda?" Hannah was momentarily confused. "Ah you mean Miss Lawson, the kind youn woman who showed me where Jane was." Admiral Shepard glanced at Garrus. "She also told me you were here, that you had been all night. Why is that?"

"Well umm..." Garrus stammered, not sure how to say this. "I owe the Commander everything. She's saved my life more times than I can count, and I've always had her back...Plus I umm..."

"You love her," Admiral Shepard guessed. Garrus looked guilty, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, a saying James had taught him.

"How could you tell, am I that obvious?" he asked.

"Obvious," the Admiral smiled and placed a hand on her daughters Turian boyfriends shoulder. "You look like a lovesick puppy. And you also look extremely guilty."  
"Yes well," Garrus cleared his throat. "I'm feeling guilty for a lot of things lately. For not being there with her when she needed me most, then for seeing her like this. And for not really knowing how to deal with my human girlfriends mom. Sorry bout that Admiral."

"Please call me Hannah," the Admirals smile was warm. "And if I know Jane as well as I think I do, she's as stubborn as her Mom. She would have wanted you out of harms way. She loves you. I don't need to look at her to know that. The last time we talked I asked how the crew was. When she got to you her voice changed. It became warmer, more affectionate. Just like I was with my Husband." The Admiral reached out and brushed her daughters cheek. "So don't feel guilty. There was probably no way of stopping her, and you know it."

"Yeah, I know. Its just hard to see her like this, knowing I might have been able to help if I hadn't have been injured myself."

"Nothing serious I hope?"

"No Admiral, I mean Hannah. Just a dislocated leg. And a few more scars to add to my ever growing collection." Garrus laughed, and it felt so good to do so after so long. Hannah laughed with him.

"Jane mentioned you were funny," she told him.

"She did huh," Garrus ran his taloned fingers down his cheek, a very human gesture he had picked up from Jane. "Well she was exaggerating. I'm nothing special Hannah. But you must have seen my file, been a little curious to see who I was. But the one thing I can guarantee, despite all my failings, is that my love for your daughter is the one thing that will never change."

"Thank you Garrus," Hannah Shepard sighed and closed her eyes. "Its nice knowing she has had someone, who truly cared."

A mumbled startled both of them. Garrus leapt to his feet and stared at Jane who's eyelids began to flicker. She moaned rolled her head towards the sound of their voices then peered through her eyelids at them both.

"Jane," Garrus and Hannah said in unison.

"Sweetheart, its me," Garrus cupped her hand in his. "Can you hear me?"

Jane Shepard parted her lips and Garrus was met with the greatest sound in the world, her voice.

"Garrus," she mumbled. "Mom? Where am I? What are you doing here?"

Garrus fell to the floor and cried, in a way Turians do anyway, his hands clasped together.

_Thank you. Thank you spirits. Thank you for bringing her back to me..._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

New Beginnings

Jane Shepard struggled to sit up. Garrus immediately placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her down. The fourth time in the last 10 minutes.

"Stubborn woman, will you stop trying to do that," he growled at her. "You've only just woke up, and before that you were in a coma overcoming serious injuries."

"But I need to beat the Reapers Garrus," she shot back, completely derailing him.

"What... but honey you already did, don't you remember," Garrus brushed her cheek genuinely concerned.

"Wait, what?" Jane looked puzzled and she squinting her eyes, as if trying to remember something very important.

"Honey, what was the last thing you remember?" Garrus held her hand tight, like she was only a dream, one that would disappear all too soon.

"Standing with the Illusive man and Anderson. After that things become blurry," she looked at Garrus, a scared innocence he had never seen in her eyes before. "What happened after that?"

"The Crucible fired," Hannah Shepard had been unusually quiet since her daughter had awoken. "Then the Reapers sort of just fell, just short circuited."

"Of course that blew all the circuits of every known technology, the Mass relays, AI's, so naturally EDI shut down and so far we haven't been able to get her back online," Garrus had hoped to at least have more time to find the words to tell her, but really there were no words to tell her about it all.

"What," again Jane tried to sit up, flinched, and got held back by Garrus. "EDI is offline?"

"Yes, but Shepard," Garrus leant closer, their faces almost touching. "No one blames, whatever it was you did up there." He kissed her forehead. "I'm just glad your OK." Shepard smiled up at him, and using whatever strength she had left she lifted her arm and cupped his face. Garrus closed his eyes, content under her touch. The sound of Admiral Shepard clearing her throat brought their attention back to the room.

"Oh Mom," Jane looked guilty. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Garrus and I. It's just a lot of stuff came up and..."

"Oh I knew about you two," Hannah smiled. "Garrus and I had a nice chat just before you woke up." She laughed. "He looked like a lovesick puppy it was hard not to guess."

"Did he now," Jane looked at Garrus with curiosity. Garrus just cleared his throat.

"We will talk about it later," he simply said.

At that moment Hannah Shepards Omni- tool beeped.

"Ah, thats a reminder for a meeting I have," she leant across the bed and gave her daughter a hug. Jane returned the gesture best she could. "I'll come and see how your doing later OK." Hannah Shepard placed a hand on Garrus' shoulder in farewell, then left the room.

Jane began to sag in the bed, exhausted and clearly still struggling with her injuries. Her hand gripped Garrus' like she was afraid he was going to go somewhere. She battled with her consciousness, forcing herself to concentrate on Garrus who was watching her, his eyes full of worry.

"So when can I get out of here?" she asked. Garrus sighed. He took up position in the chair Hannah had just vacated.

"As soon as they let you. And I agree with whatever they say. You were knocked around pretty bad Jane, and despite your accelerated healing, you need to rest."

"You look pretty tired yourself," Jane pointed out.

"Yeah, well. You had me worried," Garrus rocked his head side to side, his neck clicking. "I haven't really slept in a week, not since I saw you run towards the Crucible, leaving me with no idea whether you were alive or dead."

"I couldn't have you in harms way. You were injured after all," Jane lurched forward and suddely grabbed Garrus' face, peering at it closely. Her fingers found the few extra scars that now traced his face. "Well you did say you would go out and get new scars if it helped," she murmured. "You didn't need to actually do it you know." She laughed, and it was the best sound in the world to Garrus.

"Well you know me Jane, I'm nothing if not concistent," Garrus let all the stress of the last week just overcome him, and he hadn't realised just how tired he was. He sort of just flopped, straight into Jane's arms.

"Hey," her voice was nothing but concerned. "You OK?" Garrus laughed.

"I'm the one who's supposed to say that," Garrus breathed in her scent, just like he remembered it, warm and musky. He held her as tight as he dared, noticing how thin she had gotten. She had always been lean, and he had always been afraid of hurting her, but this was different. She seemed so fragile she might snap at the slightest touch.

"Help me move over," Jane asked. Garrus looked deep in her eyes, dazzling green meeting his blue. Seeing she was serious he carefully placed his arms under her body and moved her across the bed. She patted the empty space beside her as an invitation to him. He willingly let his body sagg into the gap, and took pleasure in circling her in his embrace.

"All the time I was asleep, I dreamed of you," she admitted to him. "I could'nt stand not ever seeing you again." She nuzzled his neck in a very Turian way. Garrus smiled. Peices of their very different cultures had seeped into each other. Suddenly Garrus wasn't afraid to let the whole Galaxy, even the Turian Hierachy, know about their relationship. Although that didn't mean he was ready yet to share her with the world once more.

"I love you," he whispered to her as he felt calmness and serenity embrace him.

"I love you too, Garrus," she held him close, and together they drifted off into sleep, worried not about the world outside, a world they would both soon have to face.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The start of something new

Jane Shepard grew impatient. A whole week she had been confined to bed, trapped in this hospital. The only decent thing about the whole thing was Garrus, who had stayed at her side the whole time, only leaving her side to bring them food and drink. In a way it was like a much needed holiday, only not quite in the destination she hoped. She had hoped Garrus and her would be making love somewhere warm and tropical, like he had suggested once, not too long ago, but what seemed like another age ago.

On the 8th day of being here she confronted Miranda Lawson, who had come to see her throughout the week.

"When am I getting out of here?" she asked around bites of the sandwich Garrus had brought her.

"Actually I have your release here," Miranda trumphantly branished the data pad she held. "Just need you to sign here Garrus."

"Wait why Garrus," Jane protested.

"Because the only way I could get them to release you was to convince them release you into Garrus' care," Miranda handed him the data pad.

"But I'm fine," she protested.

"Sweetheart ," Garrus was using a tone of voice Jane knew all too well. It told her that he wanted her out of here as much as she wanted out. It made her shudder in anticipation. "Just go along with this."

"Fine," Jane looked at Miranda. Her friend looked rattled, her hair askew, bag under her eyes, deffinatly the first time she had ever seen her look like that. "So whats the plan to get me out of here undetected." She had heard that a mass of reporters had surrounded the front entrance, rumours of her surivival had reached them somehow. And they had questions, naturally. Like what had really happened up there on the Crucible, which had slowly been coming back to her as she slept, what happened to Anderson, her good friend who she still couldn't beleive was gone, and of course, did she regret her desicion to fire the Crucible and knock technology back about 50 years. Not something she was prepared for.

"We have a shuttle prepared for evac, which will pick both you and Garrus up and take you to a place only Garrus knows. Safer that way."

"So all week when I asked you where we would go once I got out of here and you acted like you didn't know you were lying to me?" she shot an accusing look at her Turian boyfriend.

"Lie is a strong word," he said handing the data pad back to Miranda. "More like skirting the truth, as you humans say."

"I'll get this sorted as soon as I can," Miranda said. "I've prepared civilian clothing so you wont be recognised as easily. I'll be back in a hour, I promise." Miranda swept from the room with an air that both Garrus and Jane recognised well. Whenever their friend got something in her mind she always got it.

Jane swung her legs off the bed and got to her feet. As she streched and she did she noticed she wasn't sore no more. In fact she felt great. Glancing at her abalastor skin there were no signs of any of the bruising or cuts that had laced her skin. Her hair was a mess though and the clothes she wore, a little camisole top and a pair of Alliance regulation underwear, were wrinkled and more than a little bit ripe.

"Can't wait to get a shower," she told Garrus. She turned to face him and saw him eyeing her with curiousity. "What?"

"Just thinking maybe I should send whatever's left of Cerberus a fruit basket," He walked around the bed to her side and held her, his left hand tracing the skin on her face, neck, the dimple of her collarbone, and above her breasts. "They did good work. You have recovered from injuries most would take months or years to do so, in less than two weeks." He lent forward and kissed her neck, giving it a little nip of affection Jane had come to expect from her boyfriends Turian customs.

Jane suddenly recalled a moment she had previously forgotten. Standing in the apex of the Crucible, with Anderson and the Illusive Man. But she couldn't quite grasp all the details and that frustrated her to no end. She just wanted to remember what had happened to her friend. A tear sprung from her eye and down her cheek, met by Garrus' cool fingers.

"Sweetheart, what is it are you in pain?" he lifted her into his arms in one deft movement and placed her on the bed, gentle as a breath of wind.

"No," she said, placing a hand on his face, tracing his scars as she did for comfort. She didn't think Garrus had ever seen her cry before, and it made her feel vulnerable. "Just frustrated because I can't seem to remember what happened up there."

"Maybe it's for the best?" he held her as more sobs threatened to escape. "Knowing might be more painful than forgetting."

"But I want to know what happened to Anderson," she sobbed, letting all her fear and frustration of the last week pour out and soak Garrus' civilian clothing. "He was a good friend and I just want to know."

"And you will in time," Garrus lifted Jane's face so it was looking at him. "I know you will. And if you remember something painful, just remember. I'll always be here for you. Always have been." He kissed her passionately and Jane felt all her worry melt away. A cough from the door way made them turn their heads but not disentangle from each other. Miranda was there, a smirk on her face.

"All set guys," she said triumphantly. "Be ready to go in 10 minutes." She left with a florish that Jane couldn't help but me jealous of. She wished she could be that sexy.

"All right," Garrus stood and rubbed his hands together in a human gesture. "Lets get you dressed," his voice made Jane laugh and she knew if he had eyebrows he would be wagging them.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven

Jane felt ridiculous. She wasn't used to being in civilian clothing and the ones Miranda had chosen, even though they did fit her perfectly, not that she was surprised by that, were so not what she was used to. By the time she was finished she looked normal, not like the solider she was, but like an ordinary woman out with her boyfriend. She wore a pair of dark blue trousers pulled in with a belt, a flowing purple blouse, a pair of black pumps and dark sunglasses and a hat to cover her face and make her less recognisable. Garrus eyed her appreciatively.

"You have never looked more beautiful," he told her. He had removed his visor off of his right eye, and it made him look different too.

"Thanks," Jane mumbled. "But I still think I prefer the Alliance dress blues. I feel exposed."

"At least no one will notice you," Garrus brushed a hand up her exposed arms. He then grabbed her hand and led her out of the room they had been in for the past week and two days.

The young soldier who Garrus had saluted when he first arrived was on duty and he once again saluted them both. Jane glanced around the rest of the hospital at the various people in different states, some with just minor cuts and bruises, to a guy hobbling around on crutches with his leg amputated below the knee. Garrus led her away from all this before she got upset, down a narrow corridor and to a door to the back.

The streets outside were all clear, rubble still strewn everywhere, and a few Alliance personnel were waiting for them.

"Vakarian, sir," one soldier said, saluting. "Your shuttle is waiting over there for you and your friend."

"Thank you," Garrus saluted quickly then led Jane towards the shuttle that hovered a few feet away from them. He climbed in first then helped Jane in, like he always had on missions they had been on. When they were securely in the back Garrus banged on the door to the pilots area. The doors closed and they were in the air, moving towards and unknown destination, to Jane at least.

Garrus sighed in relief. He had been expecting someone to at least notice Shepard under her disguise and then all hell would have broken loose. Sure to most she was a hero, but to a select few... Well they believed that causing all technology to fry was going too far to stop the Reapers. But Garrus would have stood by her decision no matter what, and not just because she was the love of his life, but because Jane was never one to act blindly. Whatever had happened up there with the Crucible, she would have given serious thoughts to whatever she had to do, before doing it.

Jane snuggled up against him and let her mind wander. She was trying to guess where she was going. Garrus always said they would retire somewhere warm and tropical together, somewhere the media couldn't find them. Maybe find out what a Human/ Turian baby looked like. At the time she had brushed that idea off, telling herself there was no guarantee she was coming back alive, that either of them were, and even then that she would be a crap Mother. But now she was here, alive, well and with the rest of her life ahead of her, she was warming to the idea of kids. She smiled and a giggle erupted from her lips.

"What are you thinking about?" Garrus asked.

"Just thinking about what you said to me back in London, before the final battle," she mumbled. "You know about kids."

"Yeah?" Garrus sounded cautious.

"Well at the time I wasn't sure there was going to be a future for us. And I always thought I would make a crap Mother. But now I'm actually considering it."

"You serious," her boyfriends voice inched an octave higher, something she recognised as excitement. Jane cupped his face in her hands and looked him straight in his eyes.

"Yes Garrus Vakarian. I'm serious. I want to try and have a baby with you. Screw biology, we've overcome a lot worse in our lives. I just want something that is a part of me and a part of you," she leant forward and kissed his mouth, which had parted in shock. "What do you say?"

Garrus stared at Jane. Spirits, how could his life take such a double flip in such short a time. Two weeks ago he had been convinced she was dead. Now here she was, alive and well, talking about having a kid with him.

He grabbed her and kissed her passionately, laying her down on the seat they shared, running his talons through her red hair, which was longer now he realised, down to the small of her back almost.

"Yes," he mumbled between kisses, "I want that more than anything. " He traced her skin and took pleasure in her scent, not caring that she was in desperate need of a shower. It didn't bother him, she was still his, no matter what.

"ETA to designated destination, 5 minutes," the pilots voice over the intercom scared them both. Garrus pressed the intercoms button which was directly above Jane's head.

"Thank you," he said. "I guess we can start this up again later, yes?"

"Oh definitely," Jane said seductively. She sat upright again and brushed her hair and blouse so they didn't look as crumpled.

Soon the shuttle landed and Garrus exited first, holding his hand out once again for her. When she left the shuttle Jane gasped, instantly recognising where she was.

She stood, hand in hand with Garrus on a beach on the pacific, and in front of them was the most amazing beach house.

"Welcome home, " Garrus told her, swinging her up into his arms. But he wasn't done yet. He still had one more surprise for her.

He carried her over the threshold of their new house and flicked on the lights.

"SURPRISE," There stood all the Normandy crew, both past and present, Hannah Shepard, Admiral Hackett and a few others, lying in wait for them.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

Jane was in shock. All her friends were standing there cheering her, and she felt so humbled.

"You planned all this?" she said to Garrus.

"You sound surprised," he said kissing her hand.

"I am surprised... but it's a nice surprise," Jane was then caught in the embrace of Liara T'soni, her Asari friend who was sobbing.

"I'm so pleased you're alive Shepard," she said. "Garrus never gave up hope that you were." She was squeezing so tight Jane was struggling to breath.

"Come on Liara," James Vega came up behind her. "Let Lola breath." Once he had gotten Liara to let go he held out a hand for Shepard to shake.

"Come on James, " she smiled. "I'm not your CO right now." Taking him by surprise she gave him a hug.

This was followed by a hug from all of her old friends and comrades. Even the hard as nails Zaeed Massani managed an awkward hug and a smile.

"Shepard," he slured, his breath emitting a mix of brandy and whiskey.

"Having fun Zaeed? She suppressed a giggle, which would have been uncharacteristically unlike her.

Jane was just giving Miranda and Jacob Taylor hugs when she noticed Garrus was no longer at her side. She glanced over Jacobs shoulder and spotted him in a heated discussion with two other Turians she didn't know. One of them, a female, gave him a hug, and Shepard noticed her leg was in plaster.

Suddenly she realised who they were and she was terrified. Garrus had told her that his sister, Solana Vakarian, had broken her leg when she and her father were heading for a shuttle to get the hell off of the Reaper controlled Palaven.

Garrus noticed her staring and gestured with one finger for her to join them.

"Excuse me," she said to Jacob and Miranda. "We will talk again later, yes?"

"Count on it Shepard," Jacob said.

Taking a calming breath Jane made her way across the room, waving to several people as she passed. Soon she was at Garrus' side and his cool hand coiled round hers. She felt a little calmer at the prospect of what she was about to do.

"Father, Solana," Garrus said, he sounded calm, but Jane could feel the tension on him. "I would like you to meet Jane Shepard , CO of the Normandy and love of my life."

"Nice to meet you," Solana shook her hand enthusiastically. Jane smiled at Garrus' younger sister, who looked really pretty in a long yellow dress that covered most of the cast on her right leg.

"You too," she mumbled back, nerves flooding back to her.

"Garrus told me lots about you," Solana said.

"Only good stuff I hope," Solana laughed and Jane couldn't help but join in.

"Yes it's nice to finally meet you," the looming figure of Bastian Vakarian came towards her. He didn't offer to shake her hand and quite frankly he looked a little pissed off. Jane gripped Garrus' hand tighter.

"Likewise," was all she could say.

"Don't misunderstand me Shepard. I came here today to find out if all the rumours about you two were true. And now that I see they are I am more than a little disappointed."

"Father, don't start," Garrus' voice was laced with anger.

"A human Garrus?" Bastian turned back to his son. "Why do you do this to me. I wanted you to settle down with a nice Turian girl, a relationship that actually had a future," Jane was trying to keep composed, but when you hear your boyfriends father say stuff like that, it stings worse than a wound from any Reaper. "You surely can't see this... fling going anywhere do you."

"Actually Father," Garrus snarled. "I love Jane with all my heart, and if you think for one second that your words are going to change that then you are mistaken. If you can't be happy for us then you can get out."

"You can't speak to me like that," Bastian shouted back. Everyone around the room stopped and stared at this little scene.

"Actually I can, this is my house. Shepard and I are living here together, and the best news is yet to come. We are going to try for a baby."

Jane heard Liara and Tali squeal in delight.

"A baby!" Bastian looked like he was ready to explode. "That's impossible and you know it. It's useless to even try."

"Right thats it," Garrus had never looked so angry. "Just get out, now. I will not have you come into my home, threaten my girlfriend, then make a scene at a party."

"Fine I'm going," Bastian snarled. "Come along Solana."

Solana Vakarian looked torn. She stood there for a good minute deciding what to do.

"I'm sorry Garrus," she said, following her Father out of the house.

Jane sagged in Garrus' arms, exhausted and relieved from what had just happened.

"You ok?" Garrus asked.

"Been better," she admitted. "But come on, let's not let it ruin our party." Jane kissed him and spun on her heels to face the people who really mattered to her, only to be engulfed in more hugs. Jane sighed and realised there was no other place she would rather be in the whole world right now. She was pulled away from Garrus by Liara and Tali who instantly began to probe her about babies.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

Garrus kept glancing over at Jane, where she sat in discussion with all the girls. He smiled. Hopefully this would be enough to distract her from that disastrous meeting. He actually had hoped his father would approve, what a stupid fool he had been. He just hoped it didn't discourage Jane from their earlier discussion about a baby. He hadn't been just saying that back on earth to make her feel all giddy, like he had read somewhere on the extranet that human women got all loved up when you mentioned babies. He had actually meant it. He sighed and turned back to his conversation with James, Joker, Zaeed and even Javik the Prothean.

Jane kept glancing across at Garrus. Even from her position on the cluster of sofas across the room from him she could still see how tense he was. She hoped he wasn't regretting her choice back on the shuttle, because she had meant every word.

"So if you and Garrus do succeed in having this human/ turian baby," Tali was saying. "What would you name it.? I mean Humans and Turians have very different ways of naming their kids."

"Who cares what we name it," Jane said. "All that would matter is that it was both mine and Garrus'."

"You two certainly like to just drop these things on me," Hannah Shepard took up a seat next to her daughter and clasped her hand. "No heads up first, just drop it on all of us when we least expected it."

"That was Garrus not me," Jane reminded her. "I was actually going to tell you first, see how you thought. But Bastian kind of put a damper on my plans." Hannah Shepard frowned.

"Yes, that man is positively ridged isn't he. But I almost remember him from somewhere. Lets hope we both didn't cross paths a Shankxi, that would make both your situations even more unbareable. But as to this whole baby thing," Hannah Shepard took a moment and Jane couldn't breathe. What if her own mother shared Bastian Vakarians views.

"I think its a wonderful prospect," her mother mused. "I always wanted grandkid, and I don't care what race, or mixed race they are or will be. I will love them none the less." Jane flung her arms around her mother and held her close, breathing in her all too familiar scent, one that hadn't changed since Jane was a girl.

"Thanks Mom," she said. "Beleive me I'm still worried about biology not being compatible and not being able to give Garrus' what he really wants, and disappointing him, which would totally destroy me."

"Nothing you will ever do will disappoint that man," Hannah reassured her daughter. "He loves you more than anything. He told his own father to get out to protect you and I'm sure he would do it a thousand times over if it meant keeping you safe. In a way he reminds me of your father," Hannah looked sad for a brief moment.

"I miss him too Mom," Jane said.

"He would be so proud of you baby," she murmured. "But come on, lets talk of happier things. This is your party after all. So what would you like too do?"

"Dancing," Liara, Tali and Ashley Williams, all yelled in unison. Jane laughed.

"You go ahead but I think I need a few more drinks before I can muster my courage to dance," she told her crew members. "And don't think I've forgotten all your insubordination last time I danced." All the girls had a good giggle at that one. Jane smiled at them. At Liara, Tali and Ashley, who along with Garrus and Wrex, who was stomping around here somewhere, had been with her the longest. At Jack, Miranda, Samara and Kasumi all so beautiful in their own ways, who had helped her without fear or hesitation to destroy the Collector base. And at Trayner, who may have joined the team late but had proven her worth a thousand times over.

They all made their way over to a makeshift dance floor in the centre of the room, turned to music up and began to dance away. Jane closed her eyes and leant back in the chair she sat in, more than happy for a little time to think. She thought of her future. If by some strange miracle, and they happened more than you would think, she and Garrus got their baby, their lives would be complete. No more Reapers to destroy their happiness. But Jane would never forget those who gave their lives so she could get here. Mordin, Legion, Thane and Kaiden all those years ago back on Virmire. They would live on in her for all her life. Never forgotten.

A cough made her open her eyes. Garrus stood above her smiling down at her.

"Hey Honey," she said, as he sat beside her and held her close. "You OK?"

"That was going to be my line," he told her. He kissed her forehead. "Why aren't you dancing?"

"You do remember what happens when I dance remember?"

"Yeah... by yourself, but I think you do OK with me," he told her.

"Yeah," Jane said, memories of their Tango on the Citadel coming back to her. "Shame no one was around for that one, well expect James. Maybe then they would stop giving me so much grief about my dancing skills."

At that moment a familiar tune came on the sound system. The beat of a Tango.

Garrus held out a hand for her.

"Lets show them what you can do," he told her. She giggled and took his hand willingly this time.

"Come on Guys," Jacob called out, "Stand back, Shepard need room."

As Garrus pulled her into hold, everyone fanned out in the room. When the music hit its crescendo they began, moving with grace and ease this time. Their bodies close, legs interlocking, her own flicking in and out at intervals in a grace she, let alone her crew, didn't expect from her. She flicked her leg up and locked it round Garrus' hip, causing the whole room to gasp. Garrus gave her a knowing look and leant back on that leg, and even in the clothes she was wearing, it looked sensual. The music was drawing to a close and so Jane swung herself out of Garrus's arms momentarily, performing a pattern of staccato moves, before spinning herself back into his embrace, where he dropped her carefully to the floor, making her do the splits, something she didn't know as possible. They finished with Jane draped around Garrus' leg.

The whole room erupted in applause. Garrus helped Jane to her feet and held her close.

"Well that was defiantly proving a point," he sounded a little out of breath.

"Mmmmm... second time round was most defiantly better," She kissed him passionately and felt like the luckiest person alive.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten

Later on, after all the party goers had gone, Shepard finally got the shower she had longed for, She marvelled on the size of the bathroom and made a note to ask Garrus where he had found this place. But for now she was content under the warm cascades of water, even though showering alone was not as fun. She smiled at the memories of many showers they had shared together on the Normandy.

Stepping out and wrapping a towel around herself she went to look for Garrus. She didn't have to go far. He was on the balcony attatched to their bedroom, deep in thought. He was also shirtless and Jane marvelled at the plains of his hide, some rough some smooth. Most people would be put off at the sight of a half naked Turian but Jane love Garrus' body just the way it was.

"Hey," she said walking out into the night air.

"Hey yourself," he said, eyeing her form aprreciativly. "Aren't you cold?"

"Nah," she snuggled closer to him and he rubbed his now ungloved hands up her back, careful not to catch her delicate skin with his talons. "I don't get cold no more, not since I was brought back." They stood there in silence, watching the waves lap against the shore. It was a little peice of paradise just for them. "It's beautiful," she murmured.

"Yeah," Garrus spun her to face him. "But the view in front of me is even better." She smiled at the memory of their "first date" re-enactment.

"Mr Vakarian are you flirting with me?"

"Jane Shepard I beleive I am," he lifted her up into his arms and she giggled uncontrollably, he still wasn't used to that, his girlfriend, Commanding officer, and a battle hardened warrior, giggled like a small child. It was heart warming. He carried her into the bedroom and placed her, forcful enough to convey his urgency, yet gentle enough as not to hurt her as he always feared of doing.

At some point her towel had unravelled from its position around her, and she now lay on top of it, her supple skin a feast for his eyes. He traversed the plains of her body, her supple breasts, nipples erect, the tight plains of her abdomen, lean from all the physical training she had had, her bellybutton, something he loved, seeing as Turian women lacked it on their bodies, right down to the tuft of lushious red pubic hair between her toned thighs. He felt the plates around his member shift as his length emerged. He moaned appreciativley, deep in his sub harmonics.

"You know,"Shepard said. "I've always been able to feel when you do that," she admitted.

"Really?" Garrus asked.

"Yeah, thats why I've always known how you feel," she lent up on her elbows and met his lips with her in a passionate kiss.  
"Your little tembles give you away." She giggled again, and Garrus' body ached for her. He shifted himself on top of her so she could feel his urgency.

"The things you do to me Jane," he moaned. "Hard to beleive I used to be a bad ass Turian. Now I'm just a sap in love with a squishy human." He smiled as Jane's face twisted in mock shock.

"Squishy human," she teased hitting Garrus playfully. "You do know what I survived to come back to you right?"

Garrus sighed. "Yes I do. Just promise me you wont do anything that...reckless again. I can't live without you."

"I don't make that promise unless you do," she repeated word she had told him many times. "There's no Shepard without Vakarian."

He growled deep in his chest, unable to resist her any longer. He removed his pants urgently, possibly tearing them slightly, not that he cared. Jane grabbed his shaft in her hand and teased it with her thumb, rubbing across the tip, alomst tipping Garrus over the edge of insanity. She knew exactly what buttons to press, how to tease him in a way that made him ache for her more. He stopped her with a passionate kiss, before opening her legs with his knees, lowering himself above her, so the tip of his penis just carressed her clitoris, causing her to moan against his lips. He inwardly smiled, knowing he could easily tease her right back. She arched her back in response and he pushed into her, met by her warm stickiness.

Their lovemaking was a dance, both of them, moving their hips with each other, drawing out the inevitablilty that came with it. Sure enough Garrus soon felt her begin to shudder and he drew himself further into her, before they both called out each others names and the shook with the strength of their orgasms.

They now lay in each others arms, still naked and Shepard beaded with sweat, panting at their little performance.

"I love you," Garrus told her.

"I love you too," Jane snuggled closer to him. He felt so relaxed, like the weight of the past week since she had awoke had simply turned it all to goo. Garrus had always had that effect on her. He had always been their, first as a co-worker, then as a friend, then as the only possible thing their friendship could lead too. It had felt right, depsite Garrus being nervous and awkward, a quality Shepard found adorable, and when they had frist made love, that night before the collector base things had just fit into place.

"Guess that was a great start to our baby plan, huh," Garrus' voice broke her out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, I guess it does," Jane proped herself up to stare at her boyfriend. "But I still think we should get some medical advice. We don't know what affect it could have on my body, if were sucsessful." Jane sighed. "I just don't want to be at risk. I know you dont want that either."

Garrus sighed. It had been at the forefront of his mind. He wanted a baby with Shepard so bad, but at the risk of her life? He would die first.

"I'll find us a doctor tomorrow, one who excells in genetics, I want this to go right. And if its not going to happen then I would rather find out now, for your sake if not mine. I won't let this happen if its going to endanger your life, do you hear me," he held her gaze stedily. "I only just got you back, it would kill me all over again to lose you. I already died once when I thought you were dead. I just cant go through that again."

Jane looked at Garrus, who was looking miserable. It broke her heart to think what she put him through.

"I'm sorry, for what I put you through." She mumbled, her face flushing. Garrus loved her blushing, when her pale skin mottled with pink across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks, making the few freckles she had stand out.

"Shh," he began to stroke her face when he saw tears in them. "It's ok. Your here now and thats what matters. Now try and get some sleep." He pulled the bigh fluffy quilt over both of them and held her close, like part of him was still worried that she wasn't real.

Soon they drifted off to sleep in each others arm, exausted and perfectly content.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter eleven

Jane woke up with a start, the nightmare she had been having, one cold and dark, where she cold hardly breath, slipped from her memory as soon as she had sat upright.

Garrus was still asleep, turned on his side, a purr like snore escaping his lips. Shepard marvelled at how innocent he looked sleeping, not a care showing on his face.

She carefully disentangled herself from the quilt, another testament to her nightmare, and snuck out of the bedroom and into the small dressing area. There she pulled on a yoga top, and a pair of comfortable trouser and a pair of sneakers. Jane then carefully made her way downstair, careful not to wake Garrus, who had mumbled and rolled onto his other side, and out of the front door, towards the deep blue ocean, just visable by the orange sunrise just coming up.

Shepard concerntrated hard, pushing all the biotic energies she could into the palms of her hands. She then flung it around her in a circle, causing the sand grains to shift and move into a beautiful motion around her. The particles shimmered in the sun. Jane always did this kind of training, mentally keeping her biotics honed, helped her to feel in control of them, for she knew how easily she could slip up. And she didn't want hurt anyone, especially Garrus. So she made not to do this regulally, not that she had been able to do it latley. Feeling warmed up, and feeling her amp buzz, she moved on to the rocks by her feet. She pulled a singularity into her palm and flng it at the rocks, which easily lifted and spun in the air.

Jane gasped as a sharp pain hit her square in the face, knocking her off focus. She never got the headaches associated with L2, being an L3. But now she was crippled with one, and it was speading down her neck and into her back. She shrugged it off and attempted to make a singularity again, only for her nose it gush blood, the whole water front to spin in front of her eyes. She fell over onto the sand and clutched her head and nose, trying to breath the pain away, and stem the flow of blood from her nose. But it was too much, the combination of pain, dizziness, and sheer effort to stand up again. She could feel the blackness of unconciousness creep up on her.

"Garrus, help me," her voice was little more than a whisper, before she collapsed on the sand.

Garrus awoke to the sounds of birds chirping, and the waves lapping the shore. He sighed in content. This was how he wanted to wake up every morning, next to his beautiful human girlfriend. His hand streched out, finding her gone.

He sat up panicking and for a breif moment, wondering if he had been dreaming this last week. But he was in the house he had bought for them, granted Liara was the one that found it, and he could smell her scent on the pillows. OK definately not dreaming, but it didn't stop him worrying about where she had gotten too.

He reached in his nightstand for his visor, clipped it on and scanned the room with the body heat mode. Nothing in the house, but a faint heat signiture from outside. Of course. Garrus inwardly chastised himself. She would be outside, practicing her biotics, something he had found her doing many times in the cargo hold on the Normandy. She always told him she was afraid to lose control of them, hurting someone she cared about, hurtiing him, so she honed them once a week. Guess she was trying to make up for the time she lost in the coma.

He pulled himself out of bed, making it, as had become his ritual, before pulling on his trousers and top and fastening it all. He made his way out onto the balcony, hoping to catch her in action. He remembered the first time he had ever seen her use her Biotics the way she did to hone them. It was beautiful, watching her lift up petals from as blossom tree she was stood under in the Presidium on the Citadel, and whirl them around her with such grace, that from a woman like Shepard had been unpredictable. This was before they had got together, hell they were still chasing Saren round the galaxy, but something pulled at his heart that day, like he knew this fasinating, beautiful, human was going to have a big impact on his life. Just how big, he never would have imagined, but he wouldn't have changed any decisions he had made in the past 3 year, well except getting his whole squad killed, he supposed. But Jane told him once, that the past defined who we all were today, so bad things that happen, while they hurt at the time, heal in time and make you stonger for it.

He halted at the end of the balcony, his blood running cold, when he spotted Jane, not deep into her exersizes, but collapsed on the sand, her hair fanned out in front of her, the sea lapping at her ankles.

"Jane," he called, yet got no response. He needed to get down there, fast. He was not about to lose her again. Taking the stair would be too long, so he gauged how far the jump from up on the balcony was. Hell, he'd fallen father, landing on a lot harder things than sand. He vaulted the railing and fell with ease into the warm sand below. He ran to her and rolled her over.

Her hair was tangled with sand, he right cheek covered in it too, a steady flow of blood coming from her nose.

"Shit," Garrus hardly swore, but this called for it. He scooped her into his arms, and ran back to the house. "Come on baby," he muttered to her, "don't you dare leave me again." He placed her gently on the sofa, in front of the ever constant fire, to warm her up, she had gone so cold, even to him. He dabbed at the blood from her nose but couldn't quite stop it all together.

He pulled up his list of contacts on his Omni- tool, before dialing one. He hoped they were awake.

"Karen Chakwas," the voice on the end said, still sounding sleepy.

"Doctor its Garrus, sorry to wake you. But I need you over here now. I just found Shepard collapsed in the sand, blood from her nose," he tried to hold on to his panic but it laced his voice, and Chakwas knew it.

"Send me your address, I'll be there in 15 minuets max,"he heard noises accociated with humans, running around trying to get things sorted to head out in a rush. "Don't panic Garrus, we will sort this."

"Thanks doctor," he ended the call then sent her the address of the beach house.

He knelt by her, cupping her face, cleaing the sand off her face, when her eyes flickered open.

"Garrus," she mumbled.

"I'm here sweetheart," he sighed.

She put him through hell, this woman, but damn, he wouldn't change it for the world. 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter twelve

By the time Doctor Chakwas arrived, Jane was sitting upright, a sugary tea clasped in her hands, blanket around her to stop the voilent shaking of her body, and a peice of tissue stuffed up her nose to finally control the bleeding. Garrus would have found this last bit comical, had he not be so concerned about her.

"Hello Shepard," Chakwas greeted her old Commander and friend. "What have you done with yourself now."

Jane laughed at the older woman. "I don't rightly know Karen." Her head throbbed and she felt a bit nauseaous. "I was doing my biotic exersizes, you know like I used too on the Normandy," the Doctor nodded. "Well I seemed fine, till I tried to lift a few rocks. Nothing ive not tried before, but this time it felt like my head was going to expload, like the kind of headaches Kaidan told me about once."She glanced at Garrus, who's eyes were full of concern.

"Well let me give your head a scan and have a look whats going on," Chakwas said. After a few moments of silence, filled only by Garrus twitching his mandibles, like he did when he was nervous. Jane had his hands and drew a calming circle with her thumb across them.

"Hmmm," Doctor Chakwas said. "Well seems your implant got a little rattled, so I suggest you keep the biotics offline for a while. But I have to ask, have you been taking the tablets Mordin gave you for your allergic reactions to Garrus' skin? The skin round your eyes and mouth look puffy."

Jane gasped. Truth be told she had completly forgotten about the tablets she took. She suffered from a severe allergic reaction to Garrus' skin if they had prolonged contact. Even now she could feel her lips tingle and the skin under her eyes itch, she also itched in more intimate places.

"I forgot," she shrugged. Garrus sighed.

"You promised me you wouldn't," he looked guilty. She knew that causing her to come out in a blotchy rash, for her lips to swell like she had been stung by a bee, made him instantly regrett their proximity.

"Their on the Normandy. Haven't needed them since then."

Chakwas sighed, "Very well Commander." She fished in her bag and pulled out a little glass bottle. "Here, take them immediatly." She closed her bag and stood. "Now just keep the biotics at bay for a few weeks, and let me know if the headaches persist, though I suspect it may be part of your allergic reaction." The kind doctor smiled, and made to head out the door.

"Wait," Garrus suddenly called jumping to his feet, "One more thing before you go."

"Yes?"

"Do you know any doctors who specialise in genetics?" Jane gaped at Garrus.

"I have a Salarian friend who worked at Hueta with me, who studies genetics," the older woman raised an eyebrow curiously. "Why do you ask?"

Garrus looked awkward as he stumbled for words, tapping his left foot. "Well I, that is to say, we... well we were talking and we both wanted to try and start a family, and were wondering if it would be possible due to our different genetics...hence the genetisist."

Chakwas was silent for a long time and Janes heart did a double flip in her chest. What if Karen refused to help them and thought it was a bad idea. Shepard wanted this to work more than anything.

Chakwas smiled. "Well I think its a great idea." She pulled up her Omni- tools database. "I'll contact Doctor Hemlan and get him to arrange a meeting for you two." She laughed. "Trust you two to want to bring an entirely new species into the world."

Garrus chuckled. "You know us." He walked Karen to the door, where they stood talking for a few more moments.

Jane got up and headed to the kitchen to make some coffee, decaff for her and dexro for Garrus. She marvelled at the room, at the granite worktops, mahogany wood and chrome fixtures. Garrus, she realised, must have had help in choosing this place. It had Liara written all over it. She filled the coffee machine the first time, then lent on the counter while it tricked into the pot below. A small part of her, mircoscopic in fact, wished her and Garrus could eat the same food. Making two lots of coffee because your boyfriend could die from one sometimes made her sad. Her mind went to Kaidan. During their time on the SR1 her and him would flirt, no mistake. But she had sent him to his death on Virmire, because he had been adamant that it was the right thing to do. But would it have been easier if he had stayed alive and they had gotten together?

Shepard snorted. Why was she questioning herself. She never doubted her decisions, just lived with the guilt inside her, always striving forward till she found something to alleviate that guilt on. Killing Saren had been bringing honor to Kaidan's memory. So she wasn't going to stand here, in this amazing house Garrus had found for them, having doubts about their relationship now. They had come soo far together, and soon, she hoped, they would be a proper family.

She wanted that more than anything.

Shepard removed the tissue from her nose and probed it with her finger. It was a bit sore but thankfully it was no longer bleeding. She sighed. She hated leaving her biotics offline, but she didn't want to worry Garrus or Doctor Chakwas.

"Shepard?" she heard Garrus call.

"In the kitchen," She filled a mug with the dextro coffee, which smelt a bit foul to her, but Garrus liked it, washed the pot round, added a new filter to the machine and started on her own coffee. Jane rummaged around in the cuboards for some bread, both types again, and put them in the fancy lookiing toaster. She then pulled out some bacon, dextro and normal, weird looking eggs for Garrus, normal for her, and a pan.

When Garrus entered the kitchen, Shepard was frying up some dexro bacon and his favorite eggs.

"You really are amazing," he told her. She held out his coffee to him. He sipped it. Just how he liked it. "You remembered?"  
he sounded shocked.

"I may have been saving the galaxy, but I payed attention to the way my boyfriend likes his coffee, and his favorite foods," she told him. "Take a seat I'll bring it over." As Garrus sat at the little table, Jane deftly removed the toast onto a plate, took the crisp bacon and the eggs and placed them on a plate. She then placed it in front of Garrus, who still looked shocked.

"Honestly, I had no idea you could cook," Garrus lifted a peice of bacon to his mandibles, before it disapeared right down his gullet. Shepard smiled. Most people were put off by Turian eating habbits. But it never bothered Jane. It was just another quirk of being in a cross species relationship.

Dishing up her own food and coffee, she sat in the chair across from him. She eat in silence, the last of her headache disapearing.

Garrus grabbed their empty plated and placed them in the sink. Jane slinked over to him and put her arms round him.

"Forget the dishes," she purred, as he filled the sink with bubbles. "Lets do something fun."

Garrus spun to face her. "What do you have in mind?"

"Spend all day on the beach... I dunno, just something that involves fresh air," She lent up to kiss him but he pulled away.

"Have you taken your tablet?"

"Oh come on, they are horrible," Jane pouted, causing a faint smile on Garrus lips.

"Still," Garrus waved his hands down his body. "I'm cutting you off from this body till you do."

Jane sighed, lent round Garrus for the pot of pills, and took on. Shuddering she said, "Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Garrus told her, before flicking her with bubbles.

shepard shreiked and ran off, her laughter ringing through the entire house.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter thriteen

Garrus and Shepard spent the day on the beach. Jane had found lots of supplies in a cuboard upstairs, blankets, an old fashed parasole, a sun hat for her, sunscreen and most amusingly, buckets and spades.

"These will do nicely," she said passing Garrus, who looked more and more confused with every item, the blanket and parasole. She had changed into a binkin with a blue sarong around her waist, and Garrus could barely keep his eyes off of her. His eyes mapped the galaxy of her skin, taking in every little consellation of blemishes and moles, as shepard had told him the were called, that made her, well her.

Now they sat on the beach, under the parasole, which was more for her sake than his.

"This is nice," Jane murmured, closing her eyes and leaning against his shoulder. "Suddenly retirement doesn't seem so bad."

"Didn't know you were considering it?" Garrus was shocked. He had figured a military woman like Shepard would want to continue her carreer as long as she was able to walk, and maybe even after that.

"I wasn't before," she admited. "But that was before I saved the galaxy by firing a doomsday device." She sighed. "Now I'm beginning to realise just how tired of war and fighting I really am. Does that sound weird?"

"Not at all," he reassured her. "Remember I've been at this just as long as you. And your right, I'm sick of war and fighting."

"So... I'm thinking of handing in my resignation to Hackett," Jane mused. "What do you think of that?"

Garrus wanted to hug her. Deep down he was so frightened she would return to work, that she would go back to being in harms way everyday that the thought was driving him nuts. "I'll stand beside you know matter what you decide."

"Thank you." She kissed his lips, before hopping up to her feet and smiling ear to ear. "Right come on. You can't sit here on a human beach without partaking in a very human thing."

"Whats that?" Garrus asked.

"Building a sandcastle of course," Jane held up the bucket and spade trumphantly.

"Shit, shit, shit," Jane called after the third sandcastle she attempted to made, flopped disaterously.

"I thought you were good at this," Garrus asked between fits of laughter.

"I grew up on ships, I'm just as much in the dark about this as you," She thumped his arm. "The vids of kids doing it back in he 21st century made it look easy." Garrus roared with laughter, rolling in the sand, trying to breathe but unable to. He had give himself a, as humans called it, stitch.

"Ha, ha funny man," Jane threw some sand at him and it hit him square in the jaw, and he almost choked on it. His laughing fit turned into a coughing fit.

"Damn. Woman. Are. You. Trying. To. Kill. Me?" he gasped between coughs.

"You've survived worse," she mused, brushing the sand off of him, before kissing his scarred mandible. She frowned at the datapad she had in her hand, glancing from the picture of what a sandcastle was supossed to look like, to her failed disater at her feet. "What do you suppose might help," she asked him, as he pulled himself back into a sitting position, his coughing subsiding.

"Hmmmm," he inspected the floppy mess of sand on the ground. Like he knew what he was doing anyway. Turians didn't play in the sand. "Don't suppose I could Callibrate it?"

It was now Jane's turn to laugh, and it was always the best sound in the world to Garrus. She wiped a tear from her eye, sat up and hugged him.

"You can't callibrate everything, honey," she told him.

"True," he sighed.

"So, what shall we do now?"

Garrus flipped them both in the sand, so he was now on top of her. He kissed her lips, then began nibbling his way down her neck and collarbone.

"I have a few idea's," he growled. Shepard giggled and it vibrated her body against his in a way that did strange things to him.

"Your incorigable," she told him. Letting him continue to nibble down her neck, allowing her eyes to wander the shoreline, while trying to stop herself gasping in pleasure. She didn't know how Garrus had become such a proficient lover, but she wasn't going to complain.

As her gaze fell on the rocks in the distance, something caught her eye. Something that looked suspiciosly like a video cam,used by reporters.

"Do you see that?" she sat upright, Garrus givng her a curious look.

"See what?" he scanned the shore with his vizor, which he had clipped back on. Then he saw what she had. Shit, a reporter.

"Looks like our holiday is officially over," Shepard sighed, just as a figure of the last person she wanted to see rounded the corner. Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani from Westerlund News began a stride towards them. "Oh it had to be her didn't it."

"I can get her to leave," Garrus said. Truth be told he was expecting this, albit not quite so soon.

"No," Jane told him. "I need to do this, for Andersons sake if ot my own." She stood in greeting to the other woman, who had reached them.

"Commander Shepard," the woman said. "And with Garrus Vakarian. Looks like the rumours were true."

"Miss Al-Jillani," Jane held a hand out to her in a show of respect.

"I'm glad to hear you are safe, rumours around your survival were hazy to say the least," she tapped a few buttons on her Omni-tool and the drone behind her lit up. "I have a few questions if I may."

"First," Jane said. "One for you...How did you find us?"

"I have my sources," the reporter shrugged.

"ONE interview. But i must warn you Khalisah, I may not be much help with some of the questions, my memory about som events has yet to return," Jane watched the shock cross al-Jillani's face.

"Oh you have amnesia?"

"Yes she does," Garrus piped up, placing his arm protectivly round his mate. " Also I must warn you. One wrong question, anything that makes her upset, and I will end the interview."

"Oh of course," Khallisah looked a little intimidated at the six foot Turian hovering over her. Garrus smiled smugly.

"Do come inside then. I'll change into something more confortable, then we can begin." Jane led the reporter towards the house, with a smile at Garrus, who began to pack up all the stuff on the beach, then following. 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Shepard settled on the sofa, now wearing a t-shirt and a pair of jogging bottoms. She had pulled her hair into a loose ponytail at the base of her neck. Miss Al - Jillani was sat in a chair, her back ramrod straight, looking around the place with scrutiny.

Garrus took up residence beside Jane, passing her the glass of water he had then taking her hand and glaring at the reporter, watching her intently. Khalisah met his gaze and swallowed nervously, crossing her legs.

"So," Jane took a sip of water. "What do you want to know?" She snuggled closer to her mate, totally oblivious to the gaze of the reporter, who's eyes were flicking venomously between the couple.

"What happened," the reporter recovered her disgust quickly. "As Hammer Squad ran towards the beam, contact was lost. You and your team were among them if I heard correctly," Shepard nodded. "What exactly happened?"

"I'll be truthful, Miss Al - Jillani," Jane lent forward, all professional, and Garrus looked at her with awe. "It was a massacre from the start. Almost all of Hammer Squad was decimated," she looked over at Garrus with sadness in her eyes. "I almost lost Garrus too. But I survived long enough to get to the beam up to the Citadel. The rest is hazy. I remember Anderson was with me….. But that's it." Garrus rubbed her neck calmly, keeping a close eye on her expression.

"Really?" Khalisah's eyes widened. "I didn't quite realise things were that bad." Her voice was a whisper. Garrus looked at the reporter in shock. In all their encounters with the venerable Miss Al - Jilliani, she had always been prodding and poking for the truth, doing anything to get a story. Now that the Turian looked at her up close she looked dishevelled, and well….. Lost. Jane clearly sensed the same thing as she leaned closer to the reporter, who flinched back, clearly remembering the time that Shepard had gotten upset and almost hit her, had Garrus not stopped her.

"Khallisah," she said. "They are gone, truly." She reached for the other woman's hand. The reporter suddenly burst into tears.

"I've seen thing," she sobbed. "Horrible things. I always tried to report the truth, but when the truth is so shocking… well I just wanted to report on something happy for a change." Jane smiled.

"I think a story on my survival is happy, don't you?" She handed the reporter a tissue.

"That's true," Khallisah smiled, dabbing her eyes.

Jane stood and pulled Garrus up with her. He glanced at her strangely but she just smiled.

"Would you like to see the house?" She offered. " You can do an interview on what we both intend to do now the war is over."

Several hours later Khalisah left, surprising them both with a hug. She had enough to write a heart warming story on the survival of the galaxies hero. They had supplied her with snippets of their cross species relationship, how they made their different anatomies work, their plans for the future.

But they hadn't told her about their plans to attempt to bring a child into the world. Especially a half breed one. Nope that was a whole different report on its own.

Garrus and Shepard were laying in bed later on that evening, he working on a modification to his visor, she reading a book on a data pad. The headache she had had that morning had returned and she massaged her temple with her free hand. Her body was feeling tense from not using her biotics, and she hated it. It made her feel out of control.

Garrus saw she was suffering, and it killed him. He didn't know how to make this whole thing easier on her. Not using her biotics for this period of time was bound to be making her tense. He put his visor down on the side table and stroked a hand up her arm, only to be met by a small shockwave of biotics that gave his fingers a zap. He pulled away shocked.

"Oh god," Jane looked appalled. "You OK?" She lifted his fingers to her mouth and kissed the ends of them, careful of his sharp ungloved talons.

"I'm fine," he told her, securing her hand in his. "I'm more concerned about you." Jane smiled.

"Its just a build up of un used biotic energy on my skin," she told him. "It just makes my body tense. It usually never gets this bad as I always used my biotics all the time. I'm not used to feeling like this."

Garrus pulled her closer and wrapped both arms round her, rewarded with another shock of energy that made him grunt. "Is… is there anything I can do?" he begged feeling helpless.

"I don't know," she admitted. "This is all new for me too." Garrus watched as her body rippled painfully.

"Shepard," he gasped. "Sweety," he held her as she shook. "Here," he pulled her in front of him and began to massage the tops of her shoulders and her neck. He felt her body slowly un tense and she soon relaxed into him, a moan escaping her lips.

"Where did you learn that?" she mumbled.

"The vids Joker gave me back on the Normandy," Garrus' voice was laced with embarrassment. Shepards body began to shake less and less. The rippling reminded Garrus of the muscle spasms his mother suffered in the final stages of her Corpalis Syndrome, which had ended her life months before the Reapers hit. He sighed sadly. He had never got to tell his mother about Jane. And he knew she would have been OK with it, being more open minded than his father. He missed her.

"Garrus?" Jane murmured, spinning to face him. He had stopped his ministrations unbeknownst to him. She looked up at him with her eyes, warm and green, full of concern. "Are you OK?" Her body was still now and her hand no longer shook as she lifted it and stroked his scarred mandible.

"I was thinking about my Mother," he informed her, dipping his head solemnly to her shoulder, inhaling her scent.

Jane stared at her lover mutely, unable to form the words to comfort him. He had spoken about his mother often when they had been alone during the down time on the Normandy. When they had reunited again after Menae he had sadly told her of her death, then broken down on her shoulder, something he hadn't been able to do till then. It had humbled Jane that he had thought so much of her to be able to show his emotions so openly like that.

"What was she like?" Jane asked him.

"Beautiful," Garrus looked at her. "She always wore bright clothing, was kind, really listened to you." He kissed his mates nose. "Just like you she saw the best in people even if they didn't see it in themselves. She would have loved and accepted you."

"I'm sure I would have loved her too," Jane smiled.

"What about your Dad?" Garrus asked. "What was he like?"

"He was always laughing and joking," Jane sighed thinking about her father, hard to believe he had been gone 10 years. "I was the apple of his eye. No one cared more about anything that he did. He was a soldier, a protector and my role model." Unwilling tears sprouted in her eyes. "I still cant believe he's gone sometimes. I wonder whether he would be proud of me."

"I know he would be," Garrus shifted so that Shepard was now laying beside him. "You should try to sleep, you've had a long day." He ran his fingers through her hair and let it fall in a heap around the top of her head like a red halo. He kissed her affectionately. "I love you," he reminded her.

"Love you too Garrus," she closed her eyes and sighed contently. She was asleep within minutes.

Garrus watched his lover dream, he rise and fall of her chest comforting to him. He sighed and fished in the top drawer of his bedside cabinet, pulling out a small box. He opened it revealing a small gold band. He had read somewhere this was a traditional thing to give a human if you wanted them to be your life partner, mate, wife, whatever you called it. Glancing back at Jane he smiled.

_Spirits be damned, _he thought. He was going to do it….. But he was going to do things right.

**Authors note: Hi guys, this is the first authors note I've added on. I would like to say thanks to all the people who have faved and reviewed. Sorry this chapter has taken a while (life gets in the way :( ). Also don't kill me for ending the chapter on such a teasingly wonderful cliff hanger. More to follow soon I promise. ;)**


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